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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · land · bark · suit · court · band · rest · stick

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bark — to shout
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — of a king
  8. suit — in cards
  9. land — to come down
  10. rest — a break
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. land — a country
  14. last — to go on
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. court — of law
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — for sport
  21. land — ground
  22. suit — to fit
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com